Padres have Myers focused on first base

PEORIA, Ariz. -- When Wil Myers reports to Padres camp later this week, he's planning to do so as a first baseman exclusively. The Padres have no designs on giving him any reps anywhere else.

That is, of course, unless things change regarding a certain free-agent first baseman from Kansas City.

PEORIA, Ariz. -- When Wil Myers reports to Padres camp later this week, he's planning to do so as a first baseman exclusively. The Padres have no designs on giving him any reps anywhere else.

That is, of course, unless things change regarding a certain free-agent first baseman from Kansas City.

Indeed, Eric Hosmer remains unsigned with pitchers and catchers slated to report to the Peoria Sports Complex on Wednesday. The Padres remain interested in signing him, having already offered seven years and nine figures.

And Myers remains in a sort of limbo between first base and a potential move back to the outfield, where he played from 2013-15.

"He's going to come into camp as a first baseman, right now," said manager Andy Green, who met with media for the first time this spring. "But we'll tell him to bring his outfield glove along with him."

Earlier this offseason, the Padres' front office reached out to Myers, asking if he'd be OK moving to the outfield to make room for Hosmer at first. Myers said he'd be more than happy to do so.

The 27-year-old righty slugger made his full-season debut at first base in 2016, and he put forth a legitimate Gold Glove-caliber campaign. Last year, however, Myers took a major step back defensively, and he spent the offseason honing his footwork and reactions around the bag.

There's obvious room for growth at first base for Myers. Right now, the Padres have made it clear that should be his fielding priority.

The Friars are far less concerned about the possibility of a move back to a corner outfield spot. Given Myers' history and his athleticism, they feel as though that transition would be relatively seamless.

"I've watched every ball Wil caught ... in Tampa [with the Rays]," Green said. "He's going to be fine adjusting back to the outfield. It's not going to take a long amount of time for him to get comfortable back out there. We don't have this fear that if something were to happen and Wil moved to the outfield, that he has to do it at the beginning of camp."

The Padres did little in the way of free-agent starting pitching acquisitions this offseason, but they feel as though they added three arms to the mix when Robbie Erlin, Colin Rea and Matt Strahm all reported to the Peoria Sports Complex in good health.

Rea and Erlin are coming off 2016 Tommy John surgery. Strahm had surgery to repair a torn patellar tendon in his left knee last July (before the trade that sent him from Kansas City to San Diego).

"All three are going into camp with what we're considering a normal-slow progression," Green said. "They're throwing on the same pattern and schedule as everyone else. They won't see game action as soon as some of those other guys, but they're ready to compete."

Green added that Strahm might be limited during fielding drills early in camp, given the nature of his knee injury. But that likely won't slow his progression back to game action.

All three pitchers reported to camp early and threw bullpen sessions on Tuesday. They're among approximately 10 hurlers set to compete for places in the starting rotation.

Cordoba shaken up

Padres shortstop Allen Cordoba is still feeling the after-effects from a car accident last week in his native Panama.

Though Cordoba has not been diagnosed with any specific injuries, Green noted that he "had his bell rung" and that the Padres will "slow-play" his progression early in camp.

Cordoba will compete for a job as the backup shortstop, though he's likely destined for some Minor League seasoning after spending 2017 playing sporadically as a Rule 5 Draft pick in the big leagues.

Regarding the health of the rest of the club, Green noted, "Outside of that, I think we're in good shape."